Pan Europa Anniversary Congress in Vienna last October

EUROPEAN LETTER of the European Society Coudenhove-Kalergi Secretary General Heinz Wimpissinger Article author: Rainhard Kloucek, Secretary General of Paneurope Austria 90 years ago RCK for the first time in modern history presented the Pan European Union addressing a large international audience. The Pan European Union is the oldest European movement for unity, which finally led to today´s European Union. The anniversary congress was organized in cooperation with the Pan European of Slovenia and with the support of the European-wide network. A variety of presentations and discussions illustrated the situation through decades of history until the present day. The current EU member states have reached a high degree of integration although the benefits are often overseen due to national constraints. At the same time, there are requests of not yet integrated states to be taken up into this highly developed EU area. At the congress, the presence of the heads of state of Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia gave a clear signal of the wish to join. The European values and virtues of this century received special attention during the discussion which were presented by Prince Asfa-Wossen Assereate, an author born in Ethiopia and now living in Germany. Further important discussion topics included the European economic policy appealing for greater economic freedom and less stately regulation as well as the enlargement of the European Union. The current refugee and migration crisis was discussed by an international senior panel including the panel moderator ????? EU expert Rainer Münz. The Pan European youth organization dealt with the topics future of the job market, education and digitalization. For the discussion of the EU enlargement the Pan European movement of Austria had invited the heads of state of the West Balkan states. They underlined the importance of the accession perspective for their states and they explained the call of young people who want to break free from the ethnical hostilities of the past. They aim for a better life in an environment of democracy, peace and wellbeing within the EU as declared by the Hashim Thaci, President of Kosovo. People in Kosovo are grateful that the chapter of ethnic wars is finished. President Gjorge Ivanov from Macedonia explained: The young people long for open spaces. An open mindset is the result of an open space. President Bujar Nishani said that for Albania being a young state – both in political as well as demographic sense – this positive energy has to be led into the right direction. The keynote speech was held by Karl von Habsburg, the Vice President of the Pan European Union. He departed from the Europe at the time of the historical congress of 1926 and drew the following conclusion: the topicality of Pan Europe is not over-used. He underlined the principle of rule of law, the recognition of private property as well as the subsidiarity principle, which have created the welfare leading to the importance of Europe. In his comments about foreign policy he underlined the aggressive war of Russia against the Ukraine and the resulting tense relations. He called upon Europe that it needed to be in the position to quickly react to future threats. The common foreign and security policy has to take shape considering it had been an objective since the European agreement.